(Video News 11/2/12) A grass native to Louisiana’s prairielands could be an alternative source of energy as a biofuel and an alternative crop for farmers’ marginal land. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has the story. (Runtime: 1:43)

(Video News 11/30/12) A dry fall has helped wheat growers get their crop in quickly. And this year growers have planted more wheat than in recent years. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has the story. (Runtime: 1:05)

(Video News 11/14/12) In casseroles and pies, sweet potatoes will share space with the turkey next Thursday. Louisiana farmers harvested a good crop of this Thanksgiving mainstay. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has the story. (Runtime: 1:22)

(Video News 11/12/12) Sugarcane farmers have welcomed the dry weather in recent weeks. It has allowed them to get a good start to the sugar harvest. LSU AgCenter correspondent Tobie Blanchard has this report. (Runtime: 1:51)

(Distributed 11/30/12) Are you one of the many Americans who face the holiday season with some fear of gaining weight? The good news is that although many people gain weight from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, research suggests that the gain will probably be only one pound, not five, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames.

(Audio News 11/30/12) Farmers have planted most of Louisiana’s wheat crop. Planting started at the beginning of November, and with good weather, it went quickly. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 11/30/12) The LSU AgCenter announces its call for entries for the 2014 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar. Louisiana photographers will have an opportunity to submit their best photos of beautiful Louisiana flowers, plants, lawns and gardens.

(Distributed 11/30/12) This is a great time to add new trees to our landscapes. Oak trees are very popular in Louisiana landscapes, and we are familiar with the popular Southern live oak. Deciduous oaks – those that lose foliage in winter – common in Louisiana are water oak, shumard oak, southern red oak and willow oak. The one, however, with the best potential for landscape use is the nuttall oak.

(Audio 11/26/12) The soil in Louisiana typically stays warm during winter, so you can plant a number of plants this time of year. Tropical plants are the exception; they should be planted during warm weather. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/26/12) Fall is not the best time to fertilize plants in the landscape. Most plants are going dormant for the winter. Fertilizing them now could hurt them. A few exceptions are cool-season bedding plants, vegetables and Louisiana iris. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/26/12) While gardeners don't see as many insects on plants during winter, they are still out there. Vegetables and cool-season plants can attract pests. Keep an eye out for aphids, caterpillars, snails and slugs.

(Distributed 11/26/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Two of the 10 Louisiana participants in the national 4 H Poultry and Egg Conference recently (Nov. 14 15) won first and second place in cooking competition.

(Distributed 11/26/12) ABBEVILLE, La. – A seafood promotion and marketing project aimed at developing direct sales from fishermen to customers is being expanded along the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

(Audio 11/26/12) Fall is the best time to plant hardy trees and shrubs in the landscape. Planted now, trees have time to settle in before the heat of summer. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 11/26/12) On occasion, special plants have been developed for their fast growth and low-spreading coverage of the ground. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to one of the newest “wave” plants – it’s called the Cool Wave pansy. (Runtime: 1:29)

(Distributed 11/20/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Twenty winners of this year’s Louisiana 4-H Educational Awards Trip were honored at an awards luncheon at The Club at Union Square, formerly the LSU Faculty Club, on Nov. 20.

(Distributed 11/21/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – The holidays mean an increase in mail orders for boxed cheese at the LSU AgCenter Dairy Store. The boxes contain two pounds of cheese that sell for $11.50 a box, plus tax and shipping charges.

(Distributed 11/20/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Nominations for the 2013 Louisiana Farmer of the Year award are being accepted now through Jan. 4. Application forms can be obtained at any LSU AgCenter parish extension office or online at www.LSUAgCenter.com/farmeroftheyear.

(Audio News 11/16/12) The cost of a typical Thanksgiving meal is up 13 percent this year. An LSU AgCenter survey shows the 2012 Thanksgiving market basket will average $44.35 for 10 people. (Runtime: 1:50)

(Distributed 11/21/12) Japanese maples have the potential to be one of the most outstanding small trees for specimen plantings and focal-point use in residential landscapes in the Southeast.

(Distributed 11/16/12) November is prime time for cool-season bedding plants, and dianthus have been among the plants in this group gaining considerable popularity the past 10 years. Pansies have long been the most popular cool-season bedding plant, but many new dianthus varieties are making this great, under-used cool-season flower better known to home gardeners.

(Distributed 11/16/12) Thanksgiving week is the time when many people begin purchasing plants for the holiday season, and many poinsettias are available in stores and garden centers now, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Allen Owings.

(Distributed 11/16/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – In casseroles and pies, sweet potatoes will share space with the turkey on Thanksgiving. Louisiana farmers harvested a good crop of this Thanksgiving mainstay. LSU AgCenter sweet potato specialist Tara Smith said despite some concerns late in the growing season, farmers brought in a good crop.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana farmers produced a record soybean crop this year, yielding 44 bushels on 1.11 million acres, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics. The previous high was 43 bushels in 2007.

(Audio 11/19/12) Leaves are valuable in the garden as a mulch or compost. To compost them, you can make a bin out of fencing material and wire and dump your leaves in it. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/19/12) November through February is the best time to plant hardy fruit trees. Choosing the right tree is critical. You need to plant a variety suited for Louisiana. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 11/19/12) Herbs are great for seasoning that special dish. But some of them are also known for beautifully colored flowers. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill introduces you to two of them – Mexican tarragon and pineapple sage. (Runtime: 1:23)

(Audio News 11/15/12) Along the midway at any typical fair you can find games, rides and various foods sold on a stick. But the State Fair of Louisiana offers something more – an interactive journey through Louisiana agriculture. LSU AgCenter’s AgMagic at the State Fair in Shreveport links the food and fiber products used every day to the farmers, ranchers and foresters who help produce them. LSU AgCenter 4-H Regional Coordinator Karen Martin explains. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/19/12) Bulbs of paperwhite narcissus are available at garden centers. They are easy to grow this time of the year. You can force the bulbs in containers. The containers should be placed outside in a cool, sunny location until they began to bloom, then you can bring them indoors. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/19/12) Many people move houseplants outside for the summer. Now that it is getting cooler you may want to prepare your plants for a move back indoors. They are used to light outside, so you need to get them ready for lower light conditions. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/9/12) Many herbs are hardy and grow well during Louisiana's winters. Plant them in a sunny, well-drained area. Keep them handy to the kitchen. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – TransGenRx Inc. (tgrxinc.com), a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company based here, recently received a substantial Louisiana R&D Tax Credit award.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – The holidays are a perfect time to enjoy Louisiana sweet potatoes or yams, as they have come to be known. Louisiana yams are bred to have a soft, moist flesh and to be exceptionally sweet and flavorful.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Pies are traditionally served at holiday feasts. But mishandling them can lead to problems, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – For many Americans, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without turkey. To make sure you have enough turkey for the feast and for leftovers too, purchase at least one pound of uncooked turkey per person, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames.

(Audio News 11/14/12) Farmers are wrapping up Louisiana’s sweet potato harvest. The vegetable is especially popular this time of the year. LSU AgCenter sweet potato specialist Tara Smith says despite some concerns late in the growing season, farmers brought in a good crop.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Brining turkey for holiday meals is becoming more popular. The salt used in brining dissolves protein in the muscle, and the salt and protein reduce moisture loss during cooking, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. This makes meat juicy and tender.

(Distributed 11/14/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Fried turkey is not as unhealthful as it sounds – if you don't eat the skin of the bird, according to LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. In fact, experts recommend not eating the skin no matter how a turkey is prepared.

(Distributed 11/13/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana cooks shopping for Thanksgiving will find the costs of traditional dinner items up this year. The 2012 Thanksgiving market basket will average $44.35 for 10 people, according to an LSU AgCenter survey.

(Distributed 11/13/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Gregg Henderson, the Paul K. Adams Professor of Urban Entomology at the LSU AgCenter, was named the recipient of the 2012 Recognition Award in Urban Entomology from the Entomological Foundation.

(Audio 11/12/12) Summer-flowering bulbs are going dormant this time of the year. This is a good time to trim them back. Mulch over their rhizomes to protect them from the cold. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/12/12) Broccoli is a great cool-season vegetable. If you space your plants too close together, you won't get nice-sized florets. Also harvest the broccoli when the flower buds on the head are the size of a kitchen match. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/12/12) Amaryllis bulbs are available this time of the year. It is popular to grow them in containers for the holidays. They grown in landscapes in Louisiana, but you must wait until spring to plant them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/12/12) Gardeners can plant ornamental vegetables that can be grown simply for how beautiful they are. Curley parsley, kale and Swiss chard are a few to consider. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/12/12) Camellias are relatively easy to grow, providing wonderful flowers through the winter. One problem with camellias is the tea scale insect. It gets on the underside of leaves and can be controlled with a horticulture oils or a systemic insecticide. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Video 11/11/12) The LSU AgCenter Louisiana Super Plants program highlights tough and beautiful plants that work well in Louisiana landscapes. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill describes the stately sweetbay magnolia, a Super Plant that thrives in Louisiana landscapes. (Runtime: 1:24)

(Distributed 11/09/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – An apparent increase in cases of hemorrhagic disease among deer in the Florida parishes of Louisiana has caused concern among hunters and wildlife experts. But that doesn’t mean the disease is on the rise, according to an entomologist with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 11/09/12) HAMMOND, La. – You can include in your landscape many trees and shrubs that will provide significant color in fall and winter year after year.

(Distributed 11/06/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Twelve LSU AgCenter extension agents received awards from the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents at the organization’s Oct. 21-25 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

(Distributed 11/02/12) HAMMOND, La. – A poor horticulture practice in Louisiana and across the South involves one of our most beloved landscape trees. Each year, crape myrtles are pruned improperly. One of the ten commandments of gardening should be “thou shalt not top crape myrtles.”

(Audio 11/06/12) Cattle producers may benefit from including dry distillers grain, a byproduct of ethanol production, into their cows' diet. LSU AgCenter animal scientist Ryon Walker conducted research on feeding supplements and found fertility in mature cows increases with distillers grain when compared with a liquid supplement.

(Audio News 11/02/12) Yields are showing that Hurricane Isaac’s winds and rain didn’t have a lasting effect on the state’s sugarcane crop. With dry weather throughout most of October, farmers have had ideal harvesting conditions. Growing conditions were good as well. Farmers have harvested about 30 percent of the crop, and LSU AgCenter sugarcane specialist Kenneth Gravois says what they are getting so far is really promising. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio News 10/31/12) Michael Blazier’s timber work is taking him into research on biofuels. The LSU AgCenter forester is working with switchgrass planted around trees. The plant is showing promise as a biofuel that can grow on marginal land with few resources. (Runtime: 1:35)

(Audio 11/05/12) Wherever you live in Louisiana, you can plant cool-season bedding plants that will bloom through fall, winter and spring. Some cool-season bedding plants to consider include pansies, violas and dianthus. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/05/12) November is a great month to plant spring bulbs in your landscape. By this month the soil temperature has had a chance to cool. Check your nursery for bulbs. But remember, tulips and hyacinths need to chill before planting later in the winter. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/05/12) Chrysanthemums are beautiful part of the fall landscape. They are great planted into the landscape or used in containers. Choose plants with plenty of unopened blooms so you will have longer-lasting flowers. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/05/12) Most cool-season bedding plants enjoy growing in full sun to part shade. If you have a shady area, consider planting Camelot foxglove and Swan columbine. Both are Louisiana Super Plants. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 11/05/12) Lettuce is best fresh from the garden. You can grow it in your garden by direct-seeding or by planting transplants. Listen to learn more about growing lettuce. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(For Release On Or After 11/30/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Few flowering bulbs can surpass the stately beauty of the amaryllis. Typically blooming in April, this popular bulb is a star performer in the spring garden. Dormant bulbs are readily available now, and with proper care, they can become a long-lasting part of your landscape.

(For Release On Or After 11/23/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Gardening is a well-documented and beneficial form of exercise. It contributes to a healthy lifestyle, and I am always impressed when I meet gardeners in their 70s, 80s and even 90s who are still actively gardening.

(For Release On Or After 11/16/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Fall is an outstanding time to plant many of the hardy culinary herbs. And one of the most popular is parsley.

(For Release On Or After 11/09/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Fall – November through early December – is the best time to plant hardy trees in Louisiana. Are you are thinking about adding shade trees, small spring or summer flowering trees or trees for screening? If you are, this is time of the year to head out to local nurseries and purchase trees to plant in your landscape.

(For Release On Or After 11/02/12) BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana gardeners often use containers of tender tropical plants on decks, patios and porches and in courtyards to provide color and beauty through the summer. These plants thrive in outdoor conditions. But because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures, they must be protected during winter. Generally, this means bringing them indoors.